Sorting-machine.



No. 770,235. PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904.

' E. M. LAMB.

SORTING- MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.16. 1903.

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SORTING MACHINE. APPLICATION r1331) 0013.16, 1903.

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E. M. LAMB.

SORTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0012 16, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented September 13, 1904.

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TION MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DETROIT,

RATION OF MICHIGAN.

MICHIGAN, A CORPO- SORTlNG-IVIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,235, dated September 13, 1904,

Application filed October 16, 1903.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. LAMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverrouge, county of I'Vayne, State of Michigan,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sorting-Machines; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to IO make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to sorting-machines,

and has for its object an improved machine for I 5 sorting and separating sticks of different lengths. Its particular use is to sort toothpicks, taking them as they come from the cutters or machine by which they are shaped and formed and sorting them into different lengths. In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of the machine with parts of the frame removed and with the fan-casing removed. Fig. 2 is a detail of a crank connection whose position is best seen in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an 2 5 end elevation of the machine, showing the connection of the sorting-machine and the boxing-machine. Fig. 4 is a plan of a part of the carrier-track, which leads to the boxing part of the machine. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same. Fig. 6 is a section across the sortingboxes of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a perspective showing a single pocket of the sorting-boxes. Fig.

8 is a perspective of the boxing-tray.

In a suitable framework A are journaled in vertical arrangement the several parts of the sorting-machine. At the top is a cylinder l, covered with an open work or perforated shell, into which the splints are fed through a chute 2, that leads into the open end of the 4 cylinder. From the screen the splints drop through an air-blast produced by a fan 3 onto a clumping-table 4. From the dumping-table 4 the splints are dropped periodically upon a revolving carrier 5, around which are a number of circular boxes, each of which is provided with two openings. Each circular box 6 is separated from the adjacent boxes at either end by a diaphragm 7 and a number of the Serial No. 177,240. No model.)

circular boxes constitute a long tubular structure with a number of openings, of which two openings are cut through the walls of each box part of the tube. The splints fall into the large opening 8, which reaches from end to end of the individual box, and the short splints contained among them fall through the opening 9 through the bottom of the individual box. This will be understood from an examination of Fig. 6. The splints sliding from the track 10 drop into the box 6 through the large opening 8, and the small splints drop out through the small opening 9, beginning to drop from the time the box reaches the position P and continuing to drop until the box reaches the position P and the splints during this part of the travel of the box drop onto the inclined table 11 and are delivered into a second sorting-box 12, which is similar to the one already described. The long splints are carried to the position Q, where they begin to drop and are received on the slide 13, whence they escape to a receptacle. (Indicated in dotted lines at 14: in Fig. These splints are generally destroyed. In the second sorting the short splints are dropped from the boxes onto shelf 15 or a receptacle placed thereon, and these splints are of a size too short to be useful. The long splints of the second sorting are carried beyond the vertical divisionboard 16 and drop on a carrier-belt 17, whence they are conveyed first to a shaking table 18, whence they drop on the shaking incline 19, down which they slide and are delivered into trays 2O preparatory to packing.

The table 1 dumps at each revolution of the sorting-cylinders, and the sorting-cylinders are vibrated or shaken by a crank-arm C and pitman D, to which motion is given from a vertical master-shaft 21, furnishing motive power to the rotating screen, the rotating cylinders, and the shaking device. The shaking inclined chute 19 is made with longitudinal concave semicircular grooves, each of which has a breadth across its greatest opening that is less than the length of a splint, and the splint dropping into it in any position immediately or soon takes a position with its axis lengthwise of the chute, down which it travels and from which it is delivered straight into the tray 20. The chute is vibrated by crank 24 and pitrnan 25 from belt-wheel 26.

The tail end of the screen 1 is entirely open, except for the spokes and a small felly-like flange supported by them, and blocks of Wood that are of a character such that they will not pass through the screen gradually accumulate at this end. The screen is preferably arranged substantially level, and the covering to it is made preferably from a perforated sheet of metal, with the holes or perforations just larger than the splint that is to pass through, and all splints which have not been rounded properly or which are too large in diameter and all blocks of wood and shavings fail to pass through the screen and are delivered into the tail-chute 27.

What I claim is 1. In a sorting-machine, the combination of a rotary screen and a rotary sorter composed of a plurality of boxes held on a circular rotative frame, each of said boxes provided with a large and a small opening, and the box being arranged to bring the openings to a position to empty at different points in the rotation of the frame, substantially as described.

2. In a sorting-machine, a revolving carrier provided with a plurality of openings of different sizes, said carrier being held rigidly with respect to a rotating axis whereby it rotates on its own axis with each revolution around the axis to which it is held, substantially as described.

3. In a sorting-machine, the combination of a plurality of rotating shafts, a plurality of revolving sorting-boxes, each of which is held rigidly with respect to its own shaft, and each of which is provided with a plurality of openings of different sizes, and means for guiding material dropping from precedent to prece dent carrier and delivering it into a subsequent carrier, substantially as described.

4. In a sorting and boxing machine, the combination of a carrier having a plurality of openings of different sizes, an inclined grooved table divided with longitudinal concave grooves curved in cross-section, and means for shaking said inclined table, substantially as described.

5. In asortingmachine,in combination with a rotary screen of perforated metal, a shaking table to receive material dropping through .said screen, a blast-fan, a revolving carrier provided with means for sorting said material arranged to receive material from said table to sort the same into lengths, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD M. LAMB. Witnesses:

CHARLES F. BURTON, MAY E. Ko'r'r. 

